Chapter 179: I Want You to Follow Me Out of the Mountains

Wayne's injuries were pretty bad, and Jeremy couldn't completely heal him right now. All he could do was keep him stable for the time being.

Toby was an orphan from Hidden Stronghold, a place where many Rogers family members had faced the horrors of war, prompting many young men to join the military.

Wayne, for example, had gone through tough military tests and eventually joined the Azure Dragon Guards, becoming one of the first members.

Toby had already gotten Dana's message, so he was waiting outside Hidden Stronghold with a group of people.

Besides Toby, there was a young man with them.

The young man had sun-kissed skin and an air of strength. When he saw Dana, he greeted her excitedly, "Dana, you're finally back!"

It was clear from his expression that he had feelings for Dana, and he couldn't take his eyes off her, while he eyed Jeremy with some suspicion.

Dana introduced him to Jeremy, "Jeremy, this is Vance Rogers, the grandson of Dean Rogers, the leader of Hidden Stronghold."

Dana also explained Jeremy's identity to Vance, describing him as her friend. Vance didn't say much, but his eyes were filled with hostility towards Jeremy.

Jeremy didn't mind. Given his maturity, he didn't see the need to argue with a kid.

The people in the mountains weren't completely cut off from the outside world. They had TVs and cell phones, keeping up with modern times.

After entering Hidden Stronghold, Jeremy and Dana were taken to meet Dean.

Dean was a man in his seventies, full of vigor and strength, and he was a Late Grandmaster.

Jeremy had met many people on his journey, most of whom were ordinary. It was rare to find even one or two martial artists among a hundred people.

Although Hidden Stronghold had a tradition of martial arts, the number of truly talented individuals was limited. There were quite a few Internal Force Martial Artists, but only a handful of Grandmasters.

Dean was likely the strongest in Hidden Stronghold. Within a hundred yards, Jeremy couldn't sense anyone stronger than Dean.

Dean looked at Dana, then glanced at Jeremy. "Dana, is this the GhostHealer's successor you mentioned?"

Dana had already sent word ahead that she was bringing the GhostHealer's successor into the mountains. Otherwise, no outsider could enter Hidden Stronghold so easily.

Dana nodded, "Mr. Rogers, this is Jeremy."

Dean said, "Jeremy, if you're the GhostHealer's successor, you should know the GhostHealer's Wraith Strike."

Dean, having lived a long life, wouldn't easily believe someone claiming to be the GhostHealer's successor. Even with Dana's testimony, he needed proof.

As he spoke, a middle-aged man stepped forward. He was a Grandmaster, and he was there to test Jeremy.

Dana wanted to intervene, but seeing Jeremy's confident smile, she stepped aside.

"You can only use Wraith Strike. Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Dean said.

Dean couldn't sense any energy from Jeremy, assuming he was at most an Internal Force Martial Artist. For someone so young, having decent skills was already impressive.

Jeremy looked at the Grandmaster before him and smiled faintly.

The middle-aged man chuckled, "I'll stand here without moving. Go ahead."

Jeremy sighed inwardly. People always judged by appearances. But he didn't hold back, saying calmly, "Alright, I'll use just one strike."

As he finished speaking, a black energy appeared on his palm.

Seeing the black energy, Dean's expression changed. He instinctively shouted, "Retreat!"

He was telling the middle-aged man to retreat, but as a Grandmaster, the man wouldn't back down.

Dean, who had been sitting, immediately flew forward. He had only intended to test Jeremy, but the GhostHealer's Wraith Strike was notorious for its lethality.

Dean and Jeremy exchanged blows. Initially, Dean used only half his strength, but as he felt the power of Jeremy's strike, he had to muster all his Inner Energy to defend against it.

Even so, he was sent flying by the powerful force.

Everyone was stunned by the scene.

Even Dana had thought Jeremy was at most a Half-step Grandmaster, like her. Now she understood why Jeremy had been so confident in Sunrise—he possessed immense power.

Dean, a Late Grandmaster, struggled to regain his footing. His view of Jeremy had completely changed. Despite his young age, Jeremy had surpassed him, likely being a Supreme Grandmaster or even a Half-step Innate Realm.

Dean coughed awkwardly, "Well, well, a true young hero."

If Dean couldn't match Jeremy, no one in Hidden Stronghold could.

Jeremy had demonstrated his strength to take control of the upcoming negotiations. To earn the respect of these proud people, the best way was to overpower them, leaving no room for dissent.

"What do you want?" Dean asked.

Hidden Stronghold was struggling, with only Dean and another Mid Grandmaster left. They had been considering leaving the mountains to connect with the outside world, but feared losing their traditions.

Jeremy said, "I need the martial artists of Hidden Stronghold to join me. I'm forming a new ShadowCorp, and Hidden Stronghold's martial artists will be the first enforcers."

Jeremy was honest. He needed to build a new ShadowCorp, different from the old one. With limited manpower, he had planned with Dana to seek Hidden Stronghold's cooperation.

"Wait!" A middle-aged man interrupted before Dean could respond. "We've lived well in these mountains, isolated from the world. Why should we risk everything to follow you?"

"Do you even understand what you're saying, talking about creating a super force and ShadowCorp enforcers?"